Boating Industry Reader Survey Shows Ethanol Repairs Rising

According to BoatUS, a new survey by Boating Industry magazine found that people who manufacture, sell, repair and store recreational vessels are noting an increasing number of issues due to ethanol-related fuels. The full reader survey results are shared in the magazine’s July 2017 issue and report that a dismal 92% responders said “they have seen damage…caused by ethanol…and more business for the service department.” This is up from 87% last year in a similar survey.

The feature also shared that “more than 15 percent of readers said that based on what they are seeing in their business, more than half of the necessary repairs are being caused by ethanol-related issues,” and that 85% of responders were “very concerned” about the use of E15 (fuel containing up to 15 percent ethanol).

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires a higher amount of biofuels like corn ethanol to be blended into the gasoline supply. When it was written and signed into law in 2005, the RFS worked off the assumption that our nation’s use of gasoline would keep growing—but the opposite has happened, and as gasoline usage declines, more ethanol is forced into each gallon of gas.

The EPA granted a waiver in 2010 to keep pace with the RFS mandate and allow E15 into the industry. The point of contention, however, is that only fuels containing up to 10% ethanol (E10) are allowed for use in recreational boats.